Arecibo, Puerto Rico: The Caves of La Cueva del Indio

La Cueva del Indio, Arecibo, PR

This article is the last in a three part series starting with a seven-day vacation in Rincon, Puerto Rico: Exloring the Area〈〈Click link. Exploring and touring the surfing town of Rincon, I enjoy uncovering the details of beaches, dining, and adventure. The second article called Click link〉〉Side trips from the Town of Rincon, Puerto Rico, shares information short drives to surrounding areas and attractions. It highlights the place I personally enjoyed the most.

La Cueva del Indio has caves and isolated beaches an hour and a half north of Rincon in the town of Arecibo. If you are a nature lover and like to do some intermediate hiking, this is the place for scenic picture taking and amusement. You know you are getting close when you catch a glimpse of the tallest sculpture in the US – the 360’ Christopher Columbus sculpture named “Birth of the New World”.

Tallest Statue in the US, Arecibo, PR

Take your hiking sandals or sneakers and a couple bottles of water. Most attractions in Puerto Rico are no charge, but it is five dollars to park so have cash on hand and leave early if you like to enjoy a sense of privacy. You will get some vague directions that turn out to be accurate as you head through some ruined buildings and toward the limestone cliffs in search of caves. As you walk, you will see holes down into caves that vary in size. The craggy and volcanic- looking limestone rock is treacherous and children should be watched very closely. There is one much larger opening that is marked and leads to a wooden ladder. The ladder goes down into the cave where there is plenty of light from the other natural “skylights” above.

Petroglyphs in La Cueva del Indio, Arecebo, PR

Ladder to the interior of the caves in Arecibo

Tide pools in the caves of La Cueva del Indio, Arecibo, PR

Skylights in La Cueva del Indio caves

Inside you will see petroglyph cave drawings, a sand covered floor surrounding large rocks that lead into other areas with pools of water. Blue crabs scurry around and hide as soon as they see you. Climb up some of the interior rocks and you will notice a bat or two flying around near the cave ceiling. When waves hit the exterior cliffs, there is a spot that bubbles up from the floor and forms a small stream. The rocks are a beautiful purple near the base and in the water.

Once out of the cave, continue along the ridge and look out at the ocean and across the neighboring cliff formations that create arches and bridges of stone etched by the tides. One of the coves here is the scene of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie and you can imagine a cast and crew navigating the rocks and water to get a shot that captures the more eerie and dangerous qualities of the film.

Find an orange cone that marks a hidden trail and hike through the tropical plants to find yet another rocky cliff leading to a view of two crescent beaches. Navigate the rocks until you get to the sand and remove your shoes. This beach has grainy waterlogged sand that you will sink into at the water’s edge by about 4 inches. The softer dry sand further from the water is still hard to walk in after hiking the cliffs.

You Should Be Here in Arecibo

Strip to a bathing suit and carry your clothes and shoes to continue comfortably. Enjoy the beach and tidal pools while noticing the tiny snail and hermit crab shells that cover everything. Watch the birds and listen to the waves hitting the rocks.

These beaches back up to another resort and picnic area accessed from the road and there is a private home on the end owned by the same individual as the La Cueva del Indio site. The land connects to a third beach that you can walk as well and you will see a few bulky beach tables and chairs cemented into the ground.

The trek back feels easier after enjoying the beach. Finish this day with a rum drink in hand and a view of the sunset!

One of the isolated beaches found at La Cueva del Indio, Arecibo, PR

The hiking takes you to areas that less adventurous people might miss. Always have shoes with a good tread, a change of clothes to keep dry, and extra water bottles when in more remote areas. The safety and security are lax, so plan ahead when it comes to personal items. Keep them in a backpack on your person or in the trunk of your car out of site.

This was my favorite experience of the entire seven-day trip, but I thoroughly enjoyed Puerto Rico’s range of activities: beaches, restaurants, shopping, and historical sites. I challenge myself to find photo opportunities beyond the usual vacation images. I was not disappointed while hiking through caves, then standing high on the cliffs with views of rock bridges and arches, and enjoying beaches with incredible scenery.

As a reminder, this article is the third in a series about my vacation to Rincon, Puerto Rico in November and day trips from the Rincon area (links provided in the first paragraph above). The privacy I experienced at this beach is partly seasonal and because I visited the area from 9am until noon. More tourists were arriving as I left.

I am happy to explain how Dreamtrips Travel Club has encouraged me to explore my world and share the experience with others. My blue “You Should Be Here Sign” is a club gift for joining. For information, email me at scribesyndicate@gmail.com.